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How to Transition Between Jobs

Ever wonder how you go about transitioning between jobs? Better question, do you know how other higher-leading executives manage to pull it off with other connections? We’ve all had that boss, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get John Doe from over at X Corp to have a look, he owes me a favor!” and it just makes our jaw drop to the floor. We wonder, “How in the heck did he/she manage to pull that one off?” Well, as it turns out, it’s not as hard as you might think. You just have to have the personality for it, and you need to follow the most basic principle: never burn your bridges with your current job before you make it out the door.

That’s right… if you can ever leave a company with the confidence that you always have a place there, that’s your golden ticket. Though technically it’s not that easy, since a lot of companies aren’t like property owners, and can’t see your virtues over your vices; sometimes you’ll even have the opposite effect, in that they’ll use your moment of leaving as a personal attempt of crucifixion. So before you plan on leaving, be sure you thought long and hard about your next career move. What options are there to make the same amount-or more-than what you’re making now? Is there room for advancement?

Even more importantly, is whether or not you’re leaving behind a mountain of work for someone else to absorb once you’re gone, which is always a sore spot in anyone’s book. The harder you work towards your final days, and the more you extend yourself to your co-workers and boss before leaving, the better it looks for you. Secondly, make sure you give ample notice. It’s not always required, and they generally ask for two weeks, but if you can give the company a month before you leave they will LOVE you for it. It tells your boss that you want to give them a chance to fill the void of your empty chair and helps them to plan.

Finally, see—within that final month—if there’s anything you can do to help the boss out regarding either replacing you, or just catching up with added work before you make it out the door. Everyone leaves jobs for different reasons, some personal and some employer-related. Whatever your specific reason, it is important to show respect for your current employer upon your exit.